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the palace roof and exploded just in the rear of the detachment of guardsmen

who were coming to the rescue of their emperor. Why neither Victory nor I were

struck is a miracle. The room was a wreck. A great, jagged hole was torn in the

ceiling, and the wall toward the corridor had been blown entirely out.

As I rose, Victory had risen, too, and started toward me. But when she saw that I

was uninjured she stopped, and stood there in the center of the demolished

apartment looking at me. Her expression was inscrutable--I could not guess

whether she was glad to see me, or not.

"Victory!" I cried. "Thank God that you are safe!" And I approached her, a greater

gladness in my heart than I had felt since the moment that I knew the Coldwater

must be swept beyond thirty.

There was no answering gladness in her eyes. Instead, she stamped her little foot

in anger.

Why did it have to be you who saved me!" she exclaimed. "I hate you!"

Hate me?" I asked. "Why should you hate me, Victory? I do not hate you. I--I--"

What was I about to say? I was very close to her as a great light broke over me.

Why had I never realized it before? The truth accounted for a great many hitherto

inexplicable moods that had claimed me from time to time since first I had seen

Victory.

"Why should I hate you?" she repeated. "Because Snider told me--he told me that

you had promised me to him, but he did not get me. I killed him, as I should like

to kill you!"

Snider lied!" I cried. And then I seized her and held her in my arms, and made

her listen to me, though she struggled and fought like a young lioness. "I love

you, Victory. You must know that I love you--that I have always loved you, and

that I never could have made so base a promise."

She ceased her struggles, just a trifle, but still tried to push me from her. "You

called me a barbarian!" she said.

Ah, so that was it! That still rankled. I crushed her to me.

You could not love a barbarian," she went on, but she had ceased to struggle.

But I do love a barbarian, Victory!" I cried, "the dearest barbarian in the world."

She raised her eyes to mine, and then her smooth, brown arms encircled my neck

and drew my lips down to hers.

The Lost Continent